Gasoline condenser, stabilizer, fractionator, and dehydrator



sept. 17, 1929.

GASOLINE CONDENSER, STABILIZER, FRACTIONATOR, AND DEHYDRATOR H. R.l QTTo 1,728,440

Filed June 20. 1927 FWG. 1

luccnoeus Gmane Efisio@ r e GesouNE NVENTOR H.R,OTTO

POTTORNEYS Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED' STATI-:s

HELMUTH n. or'ro,l or SANTA PAULA, tui'LIFoRnIay y GASOLINE coNnnNsnn, STABILIZER,

Application led June 20,

My invention `relates yto an apparatus for condensing, stabilizing, fractionating and dehydrating gasoline. lVhile the apparatus is of general application and may be used 1n 5 connection with any gasoline, it is especially intended in connection with the treatment of so-called casing headgasoline.

Casing head gas contains condensable hydrocarbon vapors which, in the general practice, are made to pass first through an absorbing medium such as distillate of mineral oil, known in thetrade as sealfoil, which absorbs condensable as well asl incondensable hydrocarbons. The ycharged absorbing medium is then subjected todistillationto recover casing head gasoline.y They ordinary casing head gasoline has a high specific gravity but is objectionable because of its highly volatile properties, which not only cause f enormous losses through evaporation butincrease greatly the danger of fire hazard.

Therefore, methods and apparatus have been devised to subject the casing head gasoline' to a blending and stabilizing treatment, having for its object to remove the incondensable hydrocarbons which are dissolved in the gasoline and to produce a more stable, less volatile motor fuelof lower specific gravity.

It is an object krof this rinvention to provide k3o an apparatus whereby such gasoline may be treated in order to produce a stabilized .superior motor fuelfrom casing head gasoline which will compare favorably with gasoline produced by other methods. j

My invention consists of the arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter described and claimed. Referring to the accompanying drawings which form a part of the Specification: l

Figure 1 is a vertical elevation in section of an apparatus embodying my invention.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4, are horizontal crosssections taken on the lines 2 2, 3-3 and 4-4, respectively of Fig. 1. y

In the drawings 1 indicates a suitable base supporting a cylindrical shelly 2. The same is divided into a lower or gasoline collecting chamber 3, an upper gasoline inlet chamber 40, and an intermediatereaction zone 4,

'50 by means of horizontal partitions 5 and 17.

FRACTIONATOR, Ann DEnYnn'A'ron I i *i 1927. l Serial No. 199,984.

The reactionr zone 4 is divided into a plurality of reaction chambers by means of cylindrical sections 6,y 7, 8 and 9, somewhat smaller in diameter than the outer shell 2 y and concentrically spaced therefrom, providing annular chambers 10, 11, 12 and 13. The lower cylindrical section 6 rest-s upon the partition 5 and the cylindrical sectionsr 7, 8 yand 9, rest each respectively on horizontal partitions 14,15 and 16, which are circular in shape and lit snugly against the' inner walls of the shell'2, the partition 17 v'resting on the top of the top-most cylindrical section 9. Inif mediately below the partitions 14, 15, 16 ahd 17, is some ysuitable packing 111 which may 65 be made of asbestos, 'forming a substantially fluid tight closure between they cylindrical sections andthe outer shell 2. 1 x

Secured to and `approximately Vmidway in each cylindrical section 6, 7,8 and 9, are parn y,

titions.18,f19, 20' and -21, dividingk thespace of each cylindricalsectioninto upper and lowerchambers which are designated as 22, f 23, 24,25, 26, 27,28 and 29. To distinguish n thesetwo sets of chambers, the odd numerals will be referredfto as gasoline `receiving ch'ambers and theeven numerals as gasoline vapor chambers. All the partitions 5, 14to 21 inclusive, are'provided with'aflarge number ofy perforations 30 clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3 80 and 4. These perforations are preferably circular in shape. Those in partit-ion 17 are 7/64' inch in diameter, the perforations in partitions successively increasing 1/64 inch in diameter downwardly in the lower parti- S5 tions for a purpose hereinafter explained.

Centrally locatedv on partitionsl18, 19, 20 and 21, are ycircular `seal p`ans'31having the top edge preferably serrated as at 32. These pans formliquid seals for 'gasolinepassing 90 from the chamberimmediatelyy abover by means of conduits 33 whose lower ends extend below the top of the .seal pans 31 but are spaced from the bottom thereof. The upper ends of gasoline conduits 33 project through 95 the partition immediately above and arey provided with funnel shaped mouths 34.

Each of the chambers 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29, is provided with a series ofports 35 n arrangedin a circle in the walls of the cylinl00 u ports 37 conducting the gasoline from 37 into seal pan .38.

The voperation is as follows:

Hydrocarbon vapors coming from a still, not shown, in which the absorbent medium charged with casing head hydrocarbons is subjected to distillation, enter the lower part of the shell 2 immediately below partition 5 by means of an inlet pipe 39. rlhese vapors have a temperature of about 2000 Rand are of a pressure of twenty to thirty pounds. These hydrocarbonr vapors pass upwardly throughthe apparatus as follows; they pass upwardly through all the perforated partitions,passing successively through the cham-` bers 23 to '29 inclusive, thence through perforated partition 17 into the top chaz'nber 40. During its vpassage all the condensable hydrocarbon vapors are 'dissolved in the cool condensing and blending medium which is prefera'bly gasoline with which it has been brought into lintim-ate.'and repeated con tact during fits passage through the apparatus. The incondensable fractions of the vapors pass out through the outlet pipe 41y of the apg paratus and 'may be used as fuel if desired.

Gasoline, which may have a temperature from 50 to 70 degrees F., is introduced into the apparatus, being suppliedby a valved pipe 42 through pump 50 and pipe 51, which enters acooler 43'of any preferred or suitable construction, through inlet pipe 44 into the top ychamber 40. Though all the horizontal partitions 5, 18, 14, 19, 15, 20, 16, 21 and 17, are perforated, practically yno gasoline will percolate through them due to the l fact that the vapors passing in the opposite direction upwardly through the apparatus are under considerable pressure and prevent any appreciable amount lof gasoline from flowing through the perforati'ons. 4The pressure of the vapors asthey arefcoooled in their upward passage .gradually decrease and, therefore, the size of the perforationsBO 'in the partitions decrease successively upwardly in lthe partitions, the object being to prevent any appreciable flow of the gasolinethroughthese perforations'fby allowing thevapors to pass upwardly therethrough. vThe gasoline will vbuild upfto a level until it overflows into the top most gasoline conduit 34, flowinginto the compartment l29y immediately below. The gasoline will flow over thezedge of the kseal pan 31iandthen through ports 35 intro the annular chamber 13, thence inwardly through portsi35 and againthroughthe gasoline conduit 34.

In this manner the gasoline is forced to taille a path passing from chamber 40 to chamber 29, thence through annular chamber 13 into chamber 28, then through gasoline conduit 34 to chamber 27 immediately below, then again to the annular chamber 12, thence to chamber 26, chamber 25 immediately below, annular chamber 11, chamber 24, chamber 23 immediately below, and annular chamber 10, chamber 22 immediately below, and thence through the gasoline conduit 37 to seal pau 38 from which it overflows into the gasoline collecting chamber` 3.

In this manner thevgasoline is brought in repeated intimate contact with the Vvapors passing in the opposite direct-ion, condensing,

,vaporizing, 'fractionating and blending the saine. rlhe temperature of the gasoline in the gasoline cooling chamber 3 ranges from 90 to 130 degrees t After the `initial supply of the gasoline introduced through supply pipe 42, the gasoline cooled in chamber 3 nay be used, closing-the valve in pipe 42 and opening the valve in outlet pipe 45. The gasoline is thence oassed to the chamber 40 and the cycle oiaoperation is repeated to produce a stabilized motor fuel. T he quantity of Vgasoline recovered will, of course, increase and is talreiioi'f periodically through the main gasoline outlet pipe 46vleading from chamber 3.

' 'Water of condensation collecting inthe bottoni of chamber 3 maybe removed periodical ly tl'irough outlet pipe 47.

lt should be notedthat the construction of the apparatusis very simple. .lt may be keasily assembled or taken apart forrepairs for the reason that the cylindrical sections 6, 7, 8 yand 9, areunits having .their inside partitions 18, 19, 20 and 21, formed integral therewith. rlhese --cylindrical sections rest loosely upon partitions 5, 14, 15 and 16, none of which are fastened to the shell, and they, together with the' partition 17 at .the top, may be removed by merely'taking oifthe'h'ead oftheshcll 2.

v- Various changes may be made in the construction .andarrangement of parts y without departing from the spiritof my invention as claimed. f I

l claim: n

1.7n ank apparatus of the class described, the combination of a vertical cylindrical shell having a gasoline collecting chamberlat the bottom and-a gasoline inlet chamber at ythe ythrough said reaction chambers, means for conducting gasoline vapors successively rupwardly `through said reaction chambers, a conduit connecting saidfgasoline lcollecting chamber with the gasoline inlet chamber, and a cooler in said conduit. A

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a vertical outer cylindrical shell having a gasoline collecting chamber in the lower part thereof and a gasoline inlet chamber at the upper part thereof, a series of cylindrical sections of smaller diameter than the said outer shell, said sections disposed Within said shell and spaced therefrom, a series of horizontal partitions extending entirely across said outer shell disposed between said cylindrical sections, a similarly constructed partition engaging the bottom of` the lower-most cylindrical section, another of said partitions engaging the top-most cylindrical section, each of said cylindrical sections being provided With a horizontal partition intermediate its ends and integral therewith, all of said partitions being perforated Within the plane of said cylindrical sections, said partitions forming with they e cylindrical sections a series of superimposed reaction chambers, each of said larger partitions being provided with a gasoline conduit conducting gasoline from the chamber immediately above to the chamber immediately below, each of said chambers being provided With a series of ports equi-distantly spaced from the partition immediately below, a conduit connecting the gasoline collecting chamber with the gasoline inlet chamber, and a cooler in said conduit.

In testimony whereof I have signed my H. R. OTTO.

name to this specification. 

